Deepdale victory is a big relief for PNE

Dave Seddon

Simon Grayson was delighted to see Preston North End hold out against Nottingham Forest to earn their first home league win of the season.

After five draws and two defeats in the Championship at Deepdale, an early goal from Eoin Doyle gave PNE a 1-0 victory over Forest on Tuesday night.

While they had chances soon after Doyle's goal to stretch the lead, the longer the game went on, the more they were on the back foot against a Forest side who bossed the midfield and counter-attacked well.

For Doyle, it was his first goal since joining the club on loan from Cardiff City in September, with him being the first Preston striker to score in the league this season.

North End manager Grayson said: "We got the perfect start with the goal, it was nice for Eoin to get on the scoresheet.

"Then Joe Garner had a couple of opportunities after that.

"We ground it out but we were delighted to get one of the strikers on the scoresheet and to have won at home finally.

"We have had a great run of results recently, to have had five clean sheets on the trot in the Championship is of huge credit to the players.

"In the first half we were too open in terms of pushing too many people forward and leaving space for Forest to play in - they did that very well and counter-attacked against us.

"We gave away the ball too cheaply which allowed them to do that.

"It is a tough division and have to earn the right to get points in any game.

"We are on a nice little run and we want to maintain it. We go to Queens Park Rangers now, another tough game for us.